Bids•A•Lot

Protect your asphalt

Small rocks, glass, loose asphalt and other debris left on your parking lot will gradually grind into the asphalt if not swept regularly. Snow plow services can also loosen surface particles over time. These compounded fragments, driven into a lot surface, can break up asphalt and ruin your lot’s aesthetic value. Regular lot sweeping will pick up these small fragments, extending the life of the asphalt and decreasing the frequency of needed repairs.

Prevent potholes and cracks

Failure to identify and prevent potential cracks before they expand can lead to extensive cosmetic damage to a commercial lot. As pavement ages, its surfaces oxidize and the asphalt shrinks, creating small cracks in the pavement. This allows water to penetrate lot surfaces, freeze, expand, and make the damage extensively worse. Fill all cracks as soon as they appear with a rubberized crack sealer, as a part of your regular maintenance schedule, to prevent these cracks from becoming ugly potholes.

Control stormwater runoff

High levels of rain often collect contaminants and debris such as sediment, oil or metals, and stormwater can collect these contaminants on your lot. To keep any lot protected, make sure to practice consistent lot sweeping, which has been deemed a “best management practice” by the EPA. This preemptive sweeping reduces pollution which would end up in sewers and drains, and keeps your lot clear of potential rogue debris. Environmental consciousness is a key part of total facility management.

Use a sealant

Seal coat materials can go a long way to extending the life of lot surfaces. Quick patches may cost significantly less, but the ongoing costs which will arise from repeated surface repairs will end up costing a company far more than the installation costs of a sealed pavement. In fact, a facility can save up to 50% in parking lot maintenance over time by maintaining a sealed pavement, rather than repeatedly repairing an unprotected one.

Don’t forget the basics!

The small repairs are the easiest ones to forget, so always ensure sweeping is being performed consistently. It’s easy to be tempted to let your seal coating do the work, and let all other regular maintenance fall by the wayside. The best way to maintain a professional lot is with complete repair services, including regular lot sweeping and striping.

By implementing these tips and staying on top of any and all lot damage, facilities managers can rest easy. A parking lot will remain the professional, shining face of any business which practices continual parking lot maintenance.